What are the perfect ingredients of a good horror movie?
J: Good acting is a big one. You can watch the most solid piece and if you have actors who are reciting lines rather than delivering them, it’s going to ruin your film even if everything else is flawless. That being said, you can thoughtfully use a “bad” actor to help make a moment more ridiculous or comedic. There is a time and place for everything and everyone, I suppose.
You need an original idea. And a good one. Just having someone killing people off is not enough. There has to be something in there to set your work apart from the rest. And pick a good title. Your title is your first introduction to your audience. It’s your one shot to get someone to click on a trailer or pick up and script or inquire about distribution. Don’t make it way too long or complicated. It should roll off the tongue nicely and your audience shouldn’t feel stupid when they say, “two for _____”.
I’m odd in the way that, depending on the style of film, I will come up with a title before anything else. We had ‘Dead Hooker in a Trunk’ before anything else.
I would also say that low budget doesn’t have to look low budget. More often not, when people first see ‘DHIAT’, they say, “I knew your budget, I didn’t think it would be good.” Not “so” good. Not “really” good. Just good at all. Just because it’s inexpensive it doesn’t have to look cheap. If you can’t make it work, try a few different angles. If you’re still coming up short, maybe you will have to lose it.
A bad effect here or a shitty location there can cheapen your entire film. I’ve learned that people don’t care if you only had however much money. If it looks like shit, they’ll eat you alive. If you have a real passion for horror, let it show. Make the movies you want to see.
S:There are too many outside influences telling filmmakers what kind of film they ‘should’ make and how things ‘should’ be and that is where this dilution of unoriginal ideas in the genre comes from. You have to be willing to take a risk. You have to love what you are doing because you are pretty much married to your project for years.
You want to like who you are married to.
Was it hard to make the movie on a limited budget?
S: Yes and no. There are special instances with the ultra-low budget type of indie filmmaking that ‘Dead Hooker’ was that can never be replicated with a larger budget. The team was fucking incredible. Here we were with no money and a lot of passion for filmmaking making an extremely ambitious first film. I can’t tell you how many times then, and still now, people laugh in my face and say ‘it’s never going to happen’. There was none of that with the ‘Hooker’ team, everyone was busting their asses to make something that was like a love letter to our favorite films of the past.
I am never going to be in a situation where my leads show up with me, set up the set, do their work while doubling as crew, then do cleanup and then go for burgers, laughing all the way. These people did it for nothing or close to nothing – and they did it with a great attitude and great talent.
The most difficult thing was to maintain life and move the film ahead. There are costs that come up out of nowhere that you have to pay that simultaneously means you aren’t going to be able to afford food. There have been months of listening to our stomachs grumble, while bill collectors lose their patience with your situation, where your last dollar is spent on a few mail outs because getting the movie out there is the most important thing. I am far luckier than most people struggling in this industry, so I have no complaints.
More money doesn’t necessarily mean things are easier. You definitely get some nice perks, but there is a business there and I can’t just call _____ and say hey, we’re filming a new movie this year – do you want to come on board.
J: A low budget film has it’s own unique challenges as does a film with a large budget. Film making is a challenge at every level. With a limited budget you have numerous limitations that you have to work within. You won’t likely be able to get a “big name” in your production and that is often one of the first thing anyone looks for in a film. Who’s in it? You can’t pay your way through your problems and troubles, you have to get smart. You need to be creative.
Making your own film is hands down better than any film school. You just get throw in the water and have to sink or swim, but you just learn so much. It’s a priceless experience and something that film school just can’t compare with.
I highly recommend that everyone pick up Robert Rodriguez’s EL MARIACHI trilogy and a copy of his book, “REBEL WITHOUT A CREW“. It tells the story of how he made his first feature, EL MARIACHI. It was dubbed our “bible” on DHIAT and was always at hand.
It’s incredibly inspirational and really opens your eyes to the film making experience and many sacrifices. He didn’t just make a movie and *poof* become famous.
It is one hell of a challenge and even reading that I didn’t realize what a challenge it was until I had my own experiences. One of the parts that stood with me was when the film was all finished. He was being flown in to LA to try to close distribution deals and had planned to put the whole process to bed in time for Christmas. He wasn’t able to and he recalls having to come home to his family with nothing and feeling like complete shit for putting everything he had into his film and having nothing to show for it. It broke my heart.
I’ve now had those Christmas experiences and tell myself, “you knew this going in. Remember Robert never gave up. This will be a distant memory some day.”
“Some day” hasn’t quite come for me yet, but that’s part of the indie spirit that you have to condition within yourself. It’s not all praise, fame, and fortune. There are moments where you will feel like shit. Lower than shit. You will sit back and think, “my God, I’ve fucked it all up. I’ve let everyone down.” But you have to be able to take a moment and get over yourself. No one is going to cheer you up, but you. If you don’t keep going, no one is going to do it for you.